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No Southern-fried Southern boy wants to be called a Yankee, but we share the characteristics of shrewdness and thrift. Thus, each month we include a money-saving tip from Sticks in the Mud woodworker, Jim Randolph. It’s OK if you call him “cheap.”

How did I come to use Arm-R-Seal on the mantle project? Because I’m cheap, and I had it on hand.

How did I have it on hand and it not be ruined? Because I’m cheap, and I took great care when I put the can away.

First, I cleaned the rim really well so neither the lid nor the can would be deformed when opening and closing the container.

Then, using a displacer, Bloxygen is one, designed to displace oxygen in the air in the container with a non-reactive gas to prevent curing, I stored the can in a cool, dry place in my shop.

After I had used about 1/3 of what remained, I decanted to a smaller container, leaving even less space for cure-inducing oxygen to damage the material.

Also, Bloxygen says that one can provides about 75 two-second blasts. The smaller the space you need to evacuate, the less Bloxygen you use. But, at $11 per can, even a cheapskate like me doesn’t mind springing for it.

Jim Randolph is a veterinarian in Long Beach, Mississippi. His earlier careers as lawn mower, dairy farmer, automobile mechanic, microwave communications electronics instructor and journeyman carpenter all influence his approach to woodworking. His favorite projects are furniture built for his wife, Brenda, and for their children and grandchildren. His and Brenda’s home, nicknamed Sticks-In-The-Mud, is built on pilings (sticks) near the wetlands (mud) on a bayou off Jourdan River. His shop is in the lower level of their home.Questions and comments on woodworking may be written below in the comments section. Questions about pet care should be directed to his blog on pet care, www.MyPetsDoctor.com. We regret that, because of high volume, not all inquiries can be answered personally.

Do you own more than one mallet or hammer? Terry Chapman has a whole "family" of them and each has its own purpose! Read more about them on the Highland Woodworking blog! blog.woodworkingtooltips.com/…